Machine for surfacing printingface-equipped bodies



April 16, 1935. 1,998,193

MACHINE FOR SURFACING PRINTING FACE EQUIPPED BODIES A. H. HEDLY Filed Feb. 4, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 16, 1935. A, H, HEDLY 1,998,193

MACHINE FOR SURFACING PRINTING FACE EQUIPPED BODIES A. H. HEDLY 1,998,193

Filed Feb. 4, 1932 s Sheets-Sheet 4 Qmh Mm QQN April 16, 1935.

MACHINE FOR SURFACING PRINTING FACE EQUIPPED BODIES Patented Apr. 16, 1935 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR SURFACING PRINTING- FACE-EQUIPPED BODIES Arthur H. Hedly, Chicago, 111., assignor to Ludlow Typograph Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application February 4, 1932, Serial No. 590,979

1 Claim. (01. -16) My invention as to one phase thereof relates to a machine by which the printing-face portions of printing bodies, commonly formed by a casting operation, are conditioned foruse, and in this connection it is one of my objects to provide a novel method of surfacing the printing faces of such bodies to the end that such faces shall present a plano surface, resulting in the uniform impression by the full area of the printing surfaces With the minimum requirement for makeready on the surfaces which back the paper in the printing operation and rendering the printing faces in better condition for printing especially with some kindsof ink.

My invention also relates to machines for surfacing such bodies and in this connection other objects of my invention are to provide a novel construction of machine by which the results set forth above in connection with my object relative to my new machine, may be accomplished; to provide a construction of machine by which the surfacing operation may be accomplished rapidly; the machine may be adjusted to operate on such bodies of different heights and surface the same to any desired extent as may be desired or rendered necessary; to ensure against the marring or otherwise impairing of the surfaced portions of the bodies by the surfacing means; and to provide for the lubrication of the printing-face equipped bodies prior to the surfacing operation.

- Still further objects are to provide a holder for a body to be operated on which will be automatically operative to clamp in place bodies of different widths, eliminating the use of adjusting devices required to be set and the use of tools for this purpose; to provide a construction of holder whereby the possibility of chips, or the like, removed from the objects held by the holder, becoming interposed between the objects and the surface of the holder against which they are positioned and thus interfere with the proper positioning of the objects in the holder, will be reduced to the minimum; to provide in a machine involving a rotary element which is subjected to end thrust in its operation, and more particularly a cutter element, for the resisting of the end-thrustwithout impairing the element for free rotation and preventing chattering of said element whereby the surface of the work operated on by said element will be smooth and regular; to provide in a machine involving a sliding element, as for example a work-holding element engaging a guide rod, for the presentation, for performing the guiding function, of fresh surfaces of the guide-rod as the same becomes worn,

by a simple operation thereby prolonging the life of such guide-rod; and other objects as will be' manifest from the following description.

' Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a front view of a machine embody ing the several features of my invention and suitable for practicing my new method.

Figure 2 is a side View of the machine.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the machinewith the support for a tray for holding the printingface equipped bodies, shown'in section.

Figure 4 is a section taken at the lined-4 on Fig. 3 and'viewed in the direction of the arrows. Figure 5 is an enlarged section taken'at the irregular line 55 on Fig.2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a face view of a bearing plate provided on the work-holden;

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional View taken at the line 'l-'! on Fig. 8 and viewed in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 is a view taken at the irregular line 8'-8 on Fig. 7 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a portion-of the mechanism controlling the tilt-' ing of the work-holder.

Figure 10 is a broken, fragmentary, plan View, with certain parts in section.

Figure 11 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of means for lubricating the portions of the work to be surfaced, the section being taken at the line i |-H on Fig. 10 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. V

Figure 12 is a broken, fragmentary, plan sectional view, partly diagrammatic, of the holder, work, and a blade of the cutter.

Figurej13 is a section taken at the line |3I3 on Fig. l2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; and I Figure 14, an enlarged broken view of the rotatable guide-rod and the adjacent portion of a bearing therefor with calibrations to aidin the proper setting of the rod in the rotary adjustment thereof. l

Referring to the particular illustrated construction of machine, it comprises a pedestal I5' provided at its upper end with a bed-plate l6 having blocks l1 and I8 at its opposite ends extending beyond an edge of the plate 16 and in which parallel round guide rods I9 and 20 are mounted, the rod 19 being rotatably adjustable in the blocks for the purpose hereinafter described. v

printing-face equipped bodies the printing faces of which are to be surfaced, is reciprocable, the carriage 2| having depending portions 22 through which the rod 28 extends and at which the carriage is hinged to this rod to permit of the swinging of the carriage thereon.

The carriage 2| merely rests on the upper surface of the guide rod IS the area of contact between these parts being at a hardened steel plate 23 secured to the under side of the holder in position to rest on the rod 9.

The carriage 2| is provided along its edge remote from the rod 28, with a bar 24 secured in a recess 25 in the carriage, and recessed at 25 along its upper face to present a shoulder 21, the printing-face-equipped body to be operated on, and represented at 28, being seated on its side in the recess 23 and abutting. the shoulder 21.

The body 28 is held in place on the carriage 2| by a pressure-applying member 29 bearing down on the upper side of the body 28 and holding it firmly in place. The member 29, provided with a handle 30 by which the entire carriage 2i may be reciprocated on the guide rods l9 and 20, is hinged, at lugs 3|, along the edge thereof opposite that at which it bears against the body 28, on a shaft 32 mounted in bosses 33 rising from the body of the carriage, a coil spring 34 surrounding the shaft between the lugs 3| and secured at one end to the shaft 32 and at its opposite end bearing against the member 29 causing the member 29 to clamp the body 28 firmly in place against the bottom of the recess 26.

The portion of the member 29 at which it bears against the body 28 is formed as a section separate from the main portion of the member 29, this section represented at 35 being in the form of a plate pivotally supported midway between its ends on the body of the member 29 as represented at 36 with its under surface, at which it bears down on the body 28, transversely rounded as represented at 31. The pivoting of the plate 35 as stated serves to permit the plate to adjust itself to irregularities in the surface of the body 28 engaged thereby and thus automatically level itself; and the provision of the rounded surface 3'! provides a line contact between the plate and the body 28 regardless of the thickness of the body 28 thus adapting the holder to automatically adjust itself for properly holding bodies 28 of different widths on the carriage.

The carriage 2| is provided for moving the body 28 in a straight pathacross the surfacing element shown as, and in accordance with one phase of my invention, in the form of a device for surfacing the printing-face portions by a shearing action as distinguished from the abrading action produced by emery or other abrading material, the surfacing element shown being in the form of a milling cutter 38 having a circumferential series of cutting edges 39 at the end of the cutter, these cutting edges constituting the ends of cutter blades 4|) secured in an annular series in recesses 4! in a disk 42 mounted on the end of a shaft 33 rotatably supported as hereinafter described. The disk 42, shown as centrally recessed at opposite faces as represented at 44, fits flatwise at one of the recesses over a circular head 45 rigid with the shaft 43, to which head the disk 42 is secured as by a screw 46 extending through the disk 42 and screwed into the head.

The shaft 43 is journaled on a support 41 having dovetail sliding fit at 48 with a dovetail rib 49 rising from the bed-plate l6 and adapting the support 41, together with the shaft 43, and the other parts carried by the support 41 and hereinafter described, to have guided movement in a plane at a right angle to the path in which the carriage 2| reciprocates, to advance or withdraw the cutter relative to the longitudinal plane of the body 28.

The shaft 43 is shown as rotatably supported in an opening 50 in the support 41. at ball-bearings 5| and 52 at opposite ends of the support, the wall of the opening 58 being reamed out at one end as shown as 53 to receive a collar 54 which is held in place by a pin 55 extending through the wall of the opening 59 and into the collar and forming a stop for the outer raceway of bearing 52. Between the collar 54 and a ring 56 bearing against the outer raceway of bearing 5| and surrounding the shaft 43 is a coil expansion spring 51 which serves to press the outer raceway of bearing 5| to the left in Fig. 6 and thus controllably hold the shaft against movement to the right in this figure, whereby no slack in the bearings permitting endwise movement of the shaft 43 to the left and which if occurring would produce chatter of the cutter, can result.

The forward end of the support 4'! is formed with a plate-portion 58 through an opening in which the shaft 43 extends and at which packing 59 is provided, and with a shield-section 39 for the cutter.

The opposite end of the support 41 is formed with a plate-portion 6| having a packed opening through which the shaft 43 extends and with a member 62 forming, with the plate 6|, a housing for the adjacent end of the shaft 43 which is equipped with a pulley 63 belted at 64 to the pulley 55 on the armature shaft 65 of a motor 61 supported on the pedestal 115, the housing referred to also housing the belt "54 and pulley 65.

Means are provided for adjusting the support 41 and the parts carried thereby toward and from the carriage and holding the support in adjusted position, these means in the construction shown comprising an adjusting screw 68 journaled at an unthreaded portion 68 thereof in the housing comprising the plate 5| and member 62 and held against longitudinal movement therein by a shoulder 69 on the shaft abutting the plate 6| and a knob 78 secured to the outer end of the screw 68 and abutting the member 52, the threaded portion of the screw engaging a threaded socket H in the rib 49. The construction thus provided is in the nature of a micrometer adapting the operator to accurately adjust the support 41, and thusthe cutter device, relative to the plane of movement of the work on the carriage 2|.

The machine also comprises means for applying lubricant to the surfaces to be operated on by the cutter to produce lubricationv thereof and thereby cause the cutter to operate to the best advantage, these means, as shown, comprising a yoke-shaped bracket 12 pivoted on the bed plate I B by a vertical pin 13 secured to this plate. The upper and lower arms 74 and 15 of the bracket are provided with pivoting studs 15 and 71, respectively, on which an oil-supplying barrel member 18, forming an oiler, is journaled at its upper and lower ends, the stud T6 being tubular to permit of the charging of oil into the latter through its upper end.

The oiler I8 is shown as formed of a tube 19 closed at its lower disk-equipped end 80 and containing series of perforations 8| in its side wall 82, the upper end of the tube 19 having an external thread. on which a disk 83 is screwed.

Mounted-on the tube 19 are washers 84 of felt, or other absorbent material, with spacer-rings 85 alternating with the washers 84 to space them apart, the washers and rings being clamped together between the disks 8D and 83. The parts described. are so disposed, as shown, that the washers 84 cover the perforations 3i whereby oil charged into the tube l9 seeps through the washers 8 1 to their outer surfaces.

he bracket 52 is so disposed that the printing face portions of the body 28, in the movement of the carriage to the right in Fig. 3, engages the peripheral portion of the oiler 18 before reaching the cutter device, and thus become coated with a film of oil supplied thereto as the oiler '58 rolls against these printing-face portions.

The oiler it is preferably. yieldingly pressed against the printing-face portions as by means of a spring-pressed plunger 86 slidable in an upright 87 on the. bed plate and bearing against a side of the bracket 72 between the oiler l8 and the pivot ll, stop means in the form of a screw 88 carried by a lug 8% on the bracket and co-' operating with the upright 81 serving to limit rotation of the bracket '52 by the plunger 86.

It is desirable that the surfaced body 28, in

the return movement of the carriage 2i to normalposition, be caused to move in a path sufiiciently remote from its path of movement in the effecting of the surfacing operation, that the finished surface will not contact with the surfacing device with possible resultant marring of such surface, and thus means for accomplishing this result is provided, these means comprising a stationary bar it extending parallel with the guide-rods I9 and 29 and having an upwardly offset portion St at one end of which the inclined upper and lower cam-surfaces 82 and 93, respectively, are provided and at the other end of which an upper cam-surface 96 is provided. Cooperating with the bar $38 are upper and lower rollers 95 and 88 disposed, respectively, above and below the bar Bil and engaging its upper and lower surfaces, these rollers being carried by an arm 9'1 rigidly depending from the body of the carriage 2|.

The roller 95 is pivoted to the 'arm 9'! at a stationary pin 13 thereon, whereas the roller 95 is pivoted on a pin 59 secured in the outer end of a lever H38 pivoted at its upper end on a pin iili carried by the arm 9?, the lever let having a laterally extending shoulder-forming lug I02 adapted to cooperate with a stud I93 on the arm 9?.

In the normal, withdrawn, position of the carriage 2i (Figs. 1-4) the roller. 95 rests on the end of the bar 90 beyond the upwardly offset portion 9i, viz., at the lower elevation, in which position the carriage 2i engages the guide-rod l9 and the printing-face portion of the body it is squared to the cutter device 38. In the movement of the carriage 2! to the right in Figs. 3 and l, to carry the body 28 past the cutter device to perform the surfacing operation, the carriage continues throughout its movement in this direction in guiding engagement with the rod i9, inasmuch as the roller-equipped lever Hi9 swings idly to the left in Figs. 3 and 4 in the riding of the roller 95 upon the cam surface 92, the lever H30 in this movement swinging away from the pin H33. As the carriage 2i approaches the end of its movement in the direction stated the roller runs down the cam-surface 9d and the lever 19 thus swings to lower position. When the carriage is moved in the opposite direction and before the body 28 reaches the cutter device, the roller 95 rides upon the cam surface 94 and as the lug m2 is in engagement with the stud M3 the support of the carriage is transferred from the guide rod H! to the bar tit and the carriage iscaused to become tilted slightly upwardly on the guide rod 20 to the right in Fig. 7 to the position therein shown, thus removing the body 23 from the plane in which it moved in the surfacing operation. The carriage 2i, in the movement of the roller 95 along the upper surface of the offset portion 9i to the cam-surface 92, remains in the tilted position referred to, but again assumes a position in which it engages the guide-rod l9 after the roller t5 passes down over the cam surface 92, the upper surface of the oifsetportion 9! being of such length that the body 28 is held away from the cutter device until it has moved to the left in Figs. 3 and l entirely beyond it.

It is desirable that the surface of the carriage it against which the body 23 seats be maintained a clear of chips or the like removed from the bodies in the surfacing operation to ensure the proper positioning of the printing-face portions relative to the cutter-device and as a means for minimizing the possibility of the interposition of such chips, or the like, between the bodies 28 and said surface,'this surface is grooved as represented at ltd, these grooves being shown as parallel and disposed oblique to the long dimension of the body to be surfaced.

The blades ll of the cutter device are preferably sharpened at opposite ends and extend in opposite directions beyond the faces of the disk i? in which they are secured, the structure comprising the disk it and blades 44 being reversible on the shaft, whereby when the cutting edges at one-face of the disk become dulled, the sharp cutting edges at the opposite'face thereof upon reversing the structure as stated may be utilized and thus the usefulness of the blades is augmented. 7

Means are provided for clearing the guide-rod IQ of such chips or the like removed during the surfacing operation, as may fall thereon, to maintain the surface of this rod engaged by the carriage 2i clear of accumulations which might impair the bearing surfaces, these means comprising collars i535 connected with the carriage 2i through the medium of pins Hid on the carriage and slidingly fitting in openings in the collars m5, whereby'these collars move back and forth on the rod i9 responsive to the movements of the carriage.

The bearing-plate 23 is held in place on the body of the carriage by screws, or the like, extending through openings 23 in the plate and preferably equidistantly spaced as shown whereby this plate may be repositioned a number of times to present fresh surfaces thereof for engagement with the rod [9 to prolong its usefulness in maintaining the proper positioning of the printing faces of the bodies 28 relative to the plane of the cutters.

The feature of providing the guide-rod IQ for rotatable adjustment is desirable as thereby fresh surfaces of the rod may be presented for engagement with the carriage 28 as the bearing surface of the rod becomes worn, and as a guide to the operator in rotatably setting this rod a circular scale having graduations Illl is provided on the bearing H for cooperation with markings E06 and "36 at opposite ends of the rod l 9 and serving as pointers, the marking H16, in the particular construction shown wherein eight equidistantly spaced graduations ID! are provided, be-

lOi

ing disposed at an angle of 22 to the marking I06. Thus after the rod [9 has been rotatably adjusted to the eight different positions as determined by the registration of the marking I06 in succession with the graduations 01, presenting with each adjustment a fresh bearing surface, the reversal of the rod l9 end for end to position the marking Hi6 adjacent the scale, permits the operator to rotatably adjust the rod I9 with accuracy into eight more positions to present an additional eight bearing surfaces alternating with those presented in the adjusting of the rod using the marking I05 as a pointer thus adapting the rod to be accurately adjusted into sixteen different bearing positions.

As will be understood from the foregoing the surfacing of the printing-face in accordance with my novel method results in a true plano-printing face extending at a right angle to the sides of the body 28 whereby the minimum make-ready between the paper to be printed and the surface backing the paper in the printing operation, is required, and further, the printing face is rendered better adapted for uniform printing especially with certain kinds of ink.

By preference the shaft 32 is disposed in a plane above the plane of contact of the bearing surface 31 of the member 29 with the upper surface of the body 28. Thus the force exerted by the member 29 against the body 28 is not only downwardly directed against the body 28, but also inwardly toward the shoulder 24, which tends to firmly hold the body 28 in position on the work-holder.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction of machine for practicing my novel method and have shown my mechanical improvements as embodied in a particular machine and in certain forms, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit the invention thereto as the method may be practiced by the use of other forms of structure and my mechanical improvements embodied in other forms and in other machines without departing from the spirit of my invention; and in this connection it may be stated that while I have shown a milling cutter as the means for producing the surfacing operation by a shearing action, any other suitable surfacing means operating to produce the surfacing operation by such an action may be substituted for the cutter shown in the operation of surfacing within my improved method.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a machine for removing portions of the metal forming the printing faces of printingface-equipped bodies to surface said printing faces, the combination of a holder element for the body to be operated on, an element for removing portions of the metal forming said printing faces, spaced apart parallel guide surfaces along which said holder element is reciprocable and at one of which said guide surfaces said holder element is hinged, said elements being so disposed that when said holder element is moved along said guide surfaces said second-referred-to element performs the metal removing operation, a bar having spaced apart cam surfaces extending downwardly from the upper surface therebetween, a member swingable on said holder element and adapted to travel along said cam surfaces and the upper surface of said bar intermediate thereof, stop means engageable by said member in the lengthwise movement of said holder element along said guide surfaces in one direction and operating to hold said member in a position in which said holder element is tilted away from said secondnamed element.

' ARTHUR H. HEDLY. 

